Nearly 20 percent of U.S. Internet households watch television broadcasts online, double the viewership from 2006, according to a new report from The Conference Board and TNS.

According to the report, the top two destinations for online broadcasts are the home pages of TV channels and YouTube.com. Respondents cited a variety of reasons for turning to the Internet to view TV broadcasts, including:

not liking the set broadcast schedule;

desire to timeshift and convenience of online viewing;

avoiding commercials; and

portability.

Nearly 72 percent of online households log on for entertainment purposes on a daily basis. Ten percent say entertainment is their most important Internet activity.

The top five types of shows viewed online are news, drama, sitcom/comedy, reality shows and sports. User-generated content followed close behind. Among consumers connecting to online broadcasts:

Among online TV viewers, almost nine in 10 watch online broadcasts at home. About 15 percent say they watch Internet broadcasts in the office, and 6 percent watch TV online from other locations, including the library or a friend's home.

The top methods for viewing broadcasts online are streaming video, used by 68 percent of online TV viewers, and free download, used by 38 percent of viewers.